Review

Panacea, the Greek goddess of healing, carried around a potion that healed the sick. Perhaps not coincidentally, the rap group of the same name is the Washington, D.C. healer of rap. The District of Columbia has been a frail weakling when it comes to rap, preferring to be a strong giant in the local genre of “go-go.” The District has never had widespread success in the rap game, and has only recently garnered an artist that is the “face of” the city’s rap scene (Wale.) But, the duo comprised of MC Raw Poetic and producer K-Murdock called Panacea has been trying to heal Washington, D.C. rap since 2003, and A Mind on a Ship Through Time is just one of their remedial potions which they use to do so.

The atmosphere of this album is spectacular, akin to that of a secret forest. The production is so fresh and organic, lacking the pop synths or modified bass that most rap possesses, substituting them with the beautiful sounds of real instruments, resulting in the beats being like big, green trees. The gentle voice and relaxed flow of Raw Poetic is like a calm trickling stream flowing through the woods, and the lyrical ambience is the rich soil from which everything grows, and it really makes for an awing album with no real flaws.

But, all the while, there are no standout songs from the cohesive blend which propel the album to classic status, only epic tidbits within the songs themselves. And this certainly makes for really good songs, however with no signature track, the album seems like it’s just one awesome run-on, rather than a fun roller coaster ride with highs and lows (and the latter, this album doesn’t have.)

In the modern rap game, where synths, bass, and drums are over-prevalent elements and it’s a lot about possessions, violence and drugs talked about in an angry way, it’s refreshing to see natural, uncommon instruments, abstract lyrics, and relaxed MCing heavily present and coinciding together in harmony all on one album.

In essence, this is an exceptional album that you can play through over and over again, and at the same time, nothing with an individual song that makes you want to put your iPod on repeat. A Mind on a Ship Through Time is a 5/5 at heart, but doesn’t manage to express itself in a way that proves it as such, therefore conveying itself as highly respectable, incredibly enjoyable 4.5/5